When I was a young hellion, and prone to carouse and sling back a drink or two with my ol’ pal Kenning, we’d mix ourselves a rum and coke now and again. Enough so that I lost interest in the concoction by the time I moved away to begin my career.
Kelly and I spent five days in Grand Cayman this past fall, enjoying drinks by the pool all the while. Kelly had the itch for a rum and coke made with Cuban rum, a forbidden fruit here in the States, and we immediately enjoyed the drink properly called a Cuba Libre. One jigger dark Cuban rum, a squeeze of lime juice, topped off with coke, made with cane sugar if you can find it. The dark Cuban rum imparts a richness unfound in less dark, less rested rums.
If you can’t get your hands on a good, dark Cuban rum (Havana Club 7), try Ron Zacapa 23-year old. Seems a shame to use a 23-year old rum in a mixed drink, but it’s a nice diversion from sipping the otherwise refined flavor of Zacapa, neat, or over ice. Enjoy.
A Random Stroll 